My mind was soon engaged wondering, as one is apt to do-- when in church, more particularly--who and what they were.

One, I saw, was middle-aged: the other had not, probably, as yet reached her eighteenth year; and what a charming face she had,--what an expression! I could not take my eyes off her.
How shall I describe her?
I had ample opportunity of taking a study, as she faced me on the opposite side of the pew, seated beside the other and elder lady, who, I could see at a glance, was her mother, from the striking likeness between them--although, there was a wonderful difference the while.
Have you never observed the slight, yet unmistakable traits of family resemblance, and the various points in which they are displayed?
They may sometimes be only traceable in a single feature, a smile, a look, or in some peculiar mannerism of speech, or action, or even thought; but there they are; and, however indistinct they may be, however faint on casual inspection, a practised eye can seldom fail to perceive them and distinguish the relationship betwixt father and son, or mother and daughter:--the kinship of brothers and sisters is not so evident to strangers.

In the present case no one could doubt: the younger lady must certainly be the daughter of the other.
But, what was she like, you ask?
Well, she was not beautiful.

She was not even what empty-headed people, unaware of the real signification of the term, call "pretty." She was interesting--will that word suit?
No.

The description would not give you the least idea of what her face really was like--much less of her expression, in which consisted its great charm.
Shall I endeavour to picture her to you as I saw her for that first time in church, before Love's busy fingers had woven a halo of romance around her, only allowing me to behold her through a sort of fairy glamour; and making me forget everything concerning her, save that she was "Min," and that I loved her, and that she was the darling of my heart?
I will.
Her figure seemed to me then a trifle below the middle height, but so well-proportioned that one could not easily tell, unless standing beside her, whether she was actually short or tall.